Star Wars: Battlefront II is taking some cues from publisher EA’s other big (and upcoming) shooter Battlefield V. Battlefront II has been mired in controversial and creative upheaval since its release in late 2017. Upon release, the game - a sequel to developer DICE’s first attempt at the Star Wars: Battlefront franchise - was riddled with microtransactions that were cruelly linked to the game’s progression system. The microtransactions have since been removed but their ousting was just the beginning of Battlefront’s changes.
Shortly after the progression of Battlefront II was overhauled, new content was added to the game to tie into Solo: A Star Wars Story. Now Battlefront II is prepping for another big renovation as they prepare for the next content influx based on The Clone Wars.
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According to the official Star Wars: Battlefront II blog, a recent update has added a new Squad System to the multiplayer game. With the Squad System, Battlefront II aims to make gamers feel more like an important part of a massive galactic army. Whether playing solo or with friends, the Squad System will place players directly into a group of allies. In the event that a player is killed, they'll be able to spectate any of their squad and spawn directly next to them when possible. The Squad System also allows the opportunity for private 2v2 matches of Hero Showdown with two groups of friends creating Star Wars matches like Darth Maul versus Yoda.
This Squad System is directly lifted from Battlefield V, which is set to release in late 2018. Battlefield V is a bit confusing and ambitious move for the series. It is the 16th installment in the Battlefield franchise but it is the direct sequel to Battlefield One. However, Battlefield V will move from World War I to World War II. With the change of time period, Battlefield V is instituting a more team-based mechanic to present the franchise’s large scale multiplayer conflicts in a more approachable manner.
In this sense, Battlefront II is wise to take some of Battlefield V’s mechanics and introduce them for their more fanciful battles. Battlefront's scale is impressive but intimating for new players. It’s also a wise move for Battlefront to ride Battlefield’s wave of success in any way possible. Battlefield One was quite well received and the franchise is much more favorably viewed than anything associated with Battlefront II, even after a controversy over playable female characters.
However, Star Wars: Battlefront II update isn’t just taking elements from Battlefield V. The exact release date of Battlefront II’s free Clone Wars DLC, which will add Obi-Wan and General Grievous as playable heroes, isn’t known but Battlefront II has already added two cosmetic changes to Clone Troopers in the game. After the newest update, players can look like the 91st Mobile Reconnaissance Corps and the 104th “Wolf Pack” Battalion clones. Though neither group was prominently featured in the prequel films, they’re well known to fans of the deeper Star Wars canon. The Wolf Pack, in particular, are very recognizable figures in the acclaimed Clone Wars animated series.
More: How EA Plans on Avoiding Another Battlefront 2-Type Scandal
Source: DICE